When Jordan Zimmermann underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow August 19, he immediately wanted to know how long it would be before he could pitch again in the major leagues. Doctors told him the standard recovery time for that major procedure is 12-to-18 months.

Zimmermann immediately established a goal for himself: Make it back by the 12-month mark. And now that he’s pitching effectively in his minor-league rehab assignment and that magical mid-August date is drawing near, the wait has become even more agonizing for the Nationals’ young right-hander.

“I want to get up here pretty bad,” he said today during a visit to Nationals Park. “But I know I’ve got to take my time, and it’s going to be probably another month or so. I’ve got to just take my time and keep building.”

Love the work ethic and desire as well, but also hope that he will continue to be reined in a tad so as to recover fully. To paraphrase an old commercial, a healthy J-Zimm is a terrible thing to waste.